Jasper Stuyven again showed that he has the potential to become a great sprinter when he finished fourth in stage 5 of the Vuelta a Espana. The result was the Belgian's second fourth place in just 5 days of grand tour racing.

There was no relief from the heat in the 180-kilometer stage five as the peloton again dealt with the searing temperatures plaguing the Vuelta a España.

It was a calm start to the predominantly flat stage with the oppressing heat slowing the pace, and a non-threatening two-man breakaway causing little concern to the peloton, as the stage played out towards the predicted mass bunch finish.

However, the composure was interrupted with 45 kilometers to go when the peloton raced onto a wide-open, wind-swept part of the course. Tinkoff-Saxo moved to the front and  forced the pace to split everything into three groups.

It was a dangerous moment for many GC riders, including Haimar Zubeldia, as they were caught off-guard and left behind a growing gap.

“It was not a really long sector with wind; it was after we climbed to a town and the downhill was tricky and it was clear that Tinkoff-Saxo knew it was windy after the town," sports director Josu Larrazabal said. "They were already pulling into the uphill and the peloton was in one long line. It split quite fast into three groups, and some of our guys just at that moment were feeding, and Haimar was not in good position, so they were caught in the second group. 

"We start pulling with MTN-Qhubeka and Garmin and Fabian [Cancellara], Kristof [Vandewalle], Bob [Jungels] and [Fabio] Felline did a super job to bring Haimar back to the first group. We had Popo and Jasper up there, which was good as the plan was to make the sprint again with Jasper.”

A select part of the second group bridged to the first peloton on an incline with 25 kilometers to go, with the remainder fading back, including those from Trek Factory Racing who gave everything they had in the pursuit.  For Trek Factory Racing, disaster was thwarted through cohesive teamwork.

In the finale BMC and Giant-Shimano led the last kilometers, while Jasper Stuyven played free agent in the thorny final thousand meters. Timing was everything in the last uphill meters, but Stuyven once again showed a gnarly knack for these frenzied sprint battles to finish a strong fourth.

“It was downhill at the end and I stayed at the back just taking it easy until the last kilometer, where I knew I had to be in the front," he said. "There was a tricky chicane with less than a kilometer to go and I made it through that okay. BMC and Giant-Shimano were leading out, and I went on the left with Gilbert, and made my sprint. There were a few guys ahead, but I am happy with fourth.

"Popo did a great job! When the split happened I was in his wheel and he took all the wind to keep me sheltered. Then he constantly went back for bottles for me, and I have to say I was very well hydrated to the end. He was not there in the finale anymore, but what he did for me earlier was huge.

"I heard in my radio that Haimar was in the second group, but it was not for me and Popo to drop back to help.  We were hoping the rest of the team would get him back, and they did, and that was great to save his GC. So in the end it turned out to be a very good day for the team.”

At the finish director Josu Larrazabal had more praise for the young 22-year old Belgian, who again showed a strong aptitude in knocking elbows with some of the world’s best:

“From what I saw at the end, once again Jasper showed he is able to manage the last kilometers very well," he said. "And in the sprint, of course, he is fighting against some of the best riders in the world, and the last four hundred meters were climbing - around 3-4%. He did very well again and finished fourth."

The top of the overall classification remained stable: Michael Matthews (Orica GreenEdge) continues to hold onto the leader's jersey and Haimar Zubeldia still rests in seventh place (+29"). Tomorrow the race will tackle its first summit finish up to La Zubia, a climb that is not overly long, but with grades stretching to 13% it should make a few dents in the GC.